Picnics are an essential part of a summer well lived. Whether it’s at the beach or on a wild mountain slope, food just tastes better outdoors. Too often during the busy run-up to the holiday season the thought of making a mountain of sandwiches or diving back into busy shops for picnic supplies is the last straw, so another sunset goes by uncelebrated. How much more relaxing to have a gourmet picnic delivered to your door, filled with all sorts of delectable salads, meats and desserts? It’s just a question of throwing a picnic blanket into the car and setting off for your favourite sundowner spot to recoup your holiday mojo and feast at leisure.
Picnic Company
Reading through the menus at Picnic Company, it’s clear that today’s gourmet picnics have come a long way from the concept of a sandwich and piece of fruit; they read more like the menus for four-course meals at a good restaurant, and are prepared freshly by chefs using local ingredients. Imaginative salads include strawberry, biltong, red onion and rocket; or asparagus, boiled quail eggs with avocado and watercress, and there are appetising meat dishes from rare-roasted beef fillet to ostrich kebabs.
Dial-a-Picnic
Dial-a-Picnic also offers a whole range of enticing picnic menus and specializes in surprise set-ups, so that you can arrive at your chosen picnic spot and find blankets, colourful cushions and a picnic hamper already in place with bubbly chilling in an ice bucket for a romantic celebration.
Gourmet Picnic Food
Local to the Heldeberg region is Gourmet Picnic Food, offering a series of picnic basket menus for two and individual lunch boxes, all made with local, mostly organic ingredients and designed for lunch on the go.
Dreading a big family get-together where most of the guests seem to have different dietary requirements? Each company has designed gluten-free, Banting, vegetarian, and kids’ menus, so you can keep things simple and fuss free, just giving each person the relevant picnic box. Add in the optional extras of hiring picnic blankets, cushions, wicker baskets and ice buckets, and you have all you need for a gracious alfresco meal with minimal clear-up and plenty of time to relax with family and friends in beautiful surroundings.
See for yourself:
021 706 8470
082 789 5478
072 016 0116
Words: Kit Heathcock
Images: Supplied
